Rolling Through Enfield, CT

From Dave Brigham:

As a young man, I went to Enfield, Connecticut, to see punk rock bands at the old Enfield Roller World. I saw Black Flag, Naked Raygun, TSOL, St. Vitus and a few bands I can't recall. You can read about bands that played at the former roller skating rink here and here, and learn about the history of the rink here

Here's what Black Flag was up to in that era, the mid''80s:

As a middle-aged man, I checked out Enfield's Thompsonville neighborhood to make photos, and to see the area where one of my lifelong friends lived as a young kid. I only walked through a small section in the northern part of the neighborhood, in what is or was known as Frenchtown. I assume this is because in the late 19th or early 20th century there was an influx of French-Canadian immigrants who worked in the mill there.

I wish I had more time to explore the town; maybe sometime in the near future.

My first stop was the former Bigelow-Hartford Carpet Mills, which was "once one of the largest manufacturers of carpeting in the United States," according to Wikipedia.

"The Bigelow-Hartford Carpet Company had its origins in a carpet manufacturing business established in Thompsonville by Orrin Thompson in 1828," Wikipedia continues. "Through the 19th century and into the early 20th century, it grew to become the nation's single biggest maker of carpet products. Built in part by mergers with other makers, it produced virtually every style of carpeting imaginable, and was thus able to achieve a dominant position in the industry. Demand for the company's products began to decline in the Great Depression, and the company reduced operations through the 1950s, finally closing production here entirely in the mid-1960s."

Located hard by a set of railroad tracks overlooking the Connecticut River, the old mill complex years ago was converted to an apartment development called Bigelow Commons. I've checked out numerous former mills that have been turned into condos or apartments or office/lab space. Bigelow Commons is the first one I've seen with very attractive outdoor pool.

This Patch article and accompanying photos contrast the post-urban renewal landscape of today, with empty lots and some abandoned buildings, with the more thriving area that existed in the 1950s.

Just north of the old carpet factory, at the corner of Alden Avenue and Church Street, is a lovely brick building that opened on July 1, 1923: the Polish National Home.

"The building was financed by the sale of shares in the club, at $5 per share, with buyers becoming voting members," according to this Patch article. "The building, featuring huge arch windows, chandeliers and a real opera stage, was used for many events, particularly live music from polka bands."

On the ground floor today are Smoke BBQ and Pierogi Queen, sister restaurants. There are also two banquet halls, one in the basement and one on the second floor, for which I believe those eateries provide catering.

Directly across Church Street is another nice old brick building, this one, like so many like it that I've seen in various cities over the years, occupied by a church: Ministries of Love & Hope, which calls itself a "full gospel deliverance church."

At the corner of College and Church streets is a former school that my friend told me to check out, as he had attended here when he was in kindergarten and first grade.

Currently (or perhaps formerly, hard to tell) home to the Thompsonville Enterprise Center, a business incubator, this place was originally the North School. It was one of two identical schools built in Thompsonville in 1860. The old school also served as the original location of Asnuntuck Community College.

At the foot of College Street, guarding the entrance into the mill apartments, is an absolutely adorable old apartment building.

I have to say, I'm glad I decided to make most of my Thompsonville images in black and white. I think the architecture and the skies work very well in that format. I wonder if there used to be a store of some sort on the ground floor.

South of that building, at the corner of Pleasant and Chapel streets, is a handsome commercial block that dates to around 1900.

Silvia's Thompsonville Cafe Bar & Grille is run by a "five-time gold medal winner in the National Chef’s Tasting competition," according to its web site. In addition to breakfast and lunch, the joint sells ice cream, smoothies, grinders and more.

Another place my friend suggested I check out was the building for the Greys Athletic Association. Located across from the Main Street entrance to Bigelow Commons, the building suffered a fire in late 2022 or early 2023.

Built around the turn of last century, the building was the clubhouse for the athletic association, a social club and fraternal organization that for 100 years has supported youth and adult sports leagues and "organizations dedicated to the less fortunate," as well as veterans and police and fire departments, according to the group's web site. Luckly, the group has found a temporary home elsewhere in Enfield.

On the side of the burned-out building is a roached-out ghost sign.

This is an old ad for Faber's carpet store, which was located somewhere in Thompsonville, perhaps in a building that occupied what is now an empty lot next to the old Greys club.

On Pearl Street, just south of the Enfield Dam, is a circa-1939 firehouse that is now in private hands. I like the "TFD" medallion at the roofline.

Continuing south on Pearl Street, I came to a shuttered store in a building dating to 1920.

The building has been vacant for at least 15 years, from what I've read online.

A short distance away, at 28 Prospect Street, is a beautiful old church that was the final stop on my brief tour.

The Enfield assessor's database says this house of worship dates to 1859. I believe it was originally known as St. Andrew's Episcopal; today it is the Amazing Grace Church.